Part of a collection of books, fabric samples and documents from the working life of Ray Smith. Ray began his career at the age of 15, working at the Albion Woollen Mills in Geelong in 1953. Over the next five decades, Ray furthered his education in textile design, weaving design, knitting and later computer aided design, including qualifications from Gordon Textile College, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Textile Institute, Melbourne Institute of Textiles and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). After ten years at Albion Woollen Mills, Ray went on to hold fabric design positions at Prestige Fabrics and Yarra Falls, working up to management roles in both the Weaving and Fabric Design Divisions, and then as Product Development Manager at Yarra Falls until 2000. Ray shares some career highlights below: In 1977 and 1978 I won the Wool Corporation’s Celsius 30 Awards as Yarra Falls Designer. (See photos attached.) These awards came with study trips to the major Textile Centres and Trade Fairs around the world. This was proven to be beneficial and Yarra Falls sent me overseas every year for the next 22 years. On stopovers in Hong Kong we appointed an agent and took part in Textile Trade Fairs at Interstoff Asia and exhibited designs in 1991, 92, 93, 94. I created a pattern book for a chain of shops called “Kwun KeeTailors” for their customers to select our fabrics to be made up into suits for the tourists. I also had several trips to New York to try to export to America with some success. I was commissioned by the Melbourne College of Textiles to write a Woven Textile Design Course to be taught under the outreach program. This was eventually translated into Spanish to be used by developing textile industries in South America.A collection of fabric samples from Yarra Falls, including twenty three sets of woollen fabric samples on black backing card, three sets of woollen fabric samples on white backing card and one Yarra Falls fabric label.PURE NEW WOOL / Yarra Falls / MELBOURNE AUSTRALIAray smith, yarra falls, mills, textile design, fabric design, geelong, geelong advertiser, fabric samples

Part of a collection of books, fabric samples and documents from the working life of Ray Smith. Ray began his career at the age of 15, working at the Albion Woollen Mills in Geelong in 1953. Over the next five decades, Ray furthered his education in textile design, weaving design, knitting and later computer aided design, including qualifications from Gordon Textile College, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Textile Institute, Melbourne Institute of Textiles and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). After ten years at Albion Woollen Mills, Ray went on to hold fabric design positions at Prestige Fabrics and Yarra Falls, working up to management roles in both the Weaving and Fabric Design Divisions, and then as Product Development Manager at Yarra Falls until 2000. Ray shares some career highlights below: In 1977 and 1978 I won the Wool Corporation’s Celsius 30 Awards as Yarra Falls Designer. (See photos attached.) These awards came with study trips to the major Textile Centres and Trade Fairs around the world. This was proven to be beneficial and Yarra Falls sent me overseas every year for the next 22 years. On stopovers in Hong Kong we appointed an agent and took part in Textile Trade Fairs at Interstoff Asia and exhibited designs in 1991, 92, 93, 94. I created a pattern book for a chain of shops called “Kwun KeeTailors” for their customers to select our fabrics to be made up into suits for the tourists. I also had several trips to New York to try to export to America with some success. I was commissioned by the Melbourne College of Textiles to write a Woven Textile Design Course to be taught under the outreach program. This was eventually translated into Spanish to be used by developing textile industries in South America.Card folder featuring pale blue and white clouds and sky motifs, with a thermometer on the cover. Folder holds eleven circular black cards, eight have wool fabric samples attached.Front [printed]: Celsius 30 / SPRING SUMMER / 74 / SPRING SUMMER / A Woolblendmark fabric developed especially for summer.ray smith, yarra falls, mills, textile design, fabric design, product development, wool corporation, fabric samples, 1970s fashion

Card with fabric samples affixed with staples. Card has some hand written text and two holes punched in spine.front: [handwritten] Albion Mills Geelong / 627 20/4samples, fabric, brochure, school uniforms, albion woollen mills co. pty ltd

Myersons tailors shop operated at 269 Lonsdale Street Melbourne during the 1940s. Three Myerson suit or costume fabric samplers: small fabric samples stapled to a cardboard card. On front of samples: "Suit or Costume/Built to your measure for/£3/with Free O'Coat/If overcoat is not required you can/have Free Trousers or Free Skirt/ Tell your friends about Me. They will appreciate it/ MYERSON 269 Lonsdale St., -Melbourne- / One door down from Swanston Street." On back of samples: Tell your friends/about Me/ They/will appreciate it/MYERSON/269Lonsdale St.,/One door down from Swanston Street" (Same inscription on the £4 UK Pounds and £5 samples )

Seat fabric sample brown vinyl as used in the first batch of Z class trams. Has a pink backing.trams, tramways, z class, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Seat fabric sample green vinyl as used in W class trams with a light green background. Three samples held, varying sizes."W4" in black pen on the rear.trams, tramways, w class, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Seat Fabric Samples in a cardboard folder - by Lo-Rib Transit for public transport and other uses. Has a photo of the interior of a bus. Has 9 different colours, with detailed specifications on the rear. Printed August 1986. Manufactured by Melded Fabrics of Dandenong, a unit of Nylex. Has contact details.trams, tramways, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Seat fabric sample orange cloth as used in various trams with a light/dark triangular motifs / moquette with a orange background for use on trains, buses and trams for priority seating. See Reg item 4584 for the general seat colour - green. See htd4584i4.pdf for an Article in The Age 4/3/2019, downloaded 16/5/2020. Gives the design details, designer and background. Title "No more sad streamers: the redesign of Melbourne's garish train seats".On rear in felt pen "Camira Orange Fine"trams, tramways, ptv, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Seat fabric sample green cloth as used in various trams with a light/dark triangular motifs / moquette with a green background. Has a label "Camira Development Sample", dated July 2017. Gives details of the product number etc. See Reg item 4585 for the priority seat colour - orange. See htd4584i4.pdf for an Article in The Age 4/3/2019, downloaded 16/5/2020. Gives the design details, designer and background. Title "No more sad streamers: the redesign of Melbourne's garish train seats".trams, tramways, ptv, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Four page fold out booklet containing coloured fabric samples and printed text. front: [printed] Fashion Shades / Autumn 1933. / SANDOZfabric samples, textile industry, fashion, sandoz, switzerland, autumn

Fold out card brochure containing blanket fabric samples in a range of colours.front: [printed] Eagley / LUXURY / BLANKETS / FASHION / PIECEGOODS / PIECEGOODS front: [handwritten] Range / 1670eagley woollen mills, samples, fabric, brochure

Fold out card brochure containing blanket fabric samples in a range of colours.front: [printed] Eagley / LUXURY / BLANKETS / FASHION / PIECEGOODS / PIECEGOODS front: [handwritten] Range / 1523eagley woollen mills, samples, fabric, brochure

Jane McGrath made this quilt 30 years ago from a tartan fabric sample book (c.1990). It was one of her first quilts. Jane was inspired to quilt by her mother Shirley Critchley. Jane recalls her mother being a very talented quilter, with one example being the “Unpicked Jumper Wagga” which can be found within the National Wool Museum’s Collection (REG 8283). Shirley taught Jane the basics in quilting and assisted her in preparing this quilt. The quilt is backed with material from disused woollen skirts. Jane could not recall what material was used for the internal insulating fabric. Jane donated the Tartan Fabric Sample Quilt to the National Wool Museum in 2021. The quilt had been languishing in her cupboard for many years and had found its way to the op-shop pile, as her children had no desire to inherit her quilts. The top layer of the quilt consists of five distinct rows of tartan samples appliqued together. The rows of tartan samples are broken with a boarder of white, grey, and brown fabric which runs in parallel lines. This fabric is also used to bind the quilt together at the edges. The internal insulating fabric of the quilt is not known. The backing fabric is a grey coloured wool originating from disused skirts. The Tartan samples contain stripes of varying width and colour. The samples have been arranged so that the stripes run diagonal on the quilt. Many different colours have been used. The predominant colours are red and black, with lessening amounts of blue, yellow, white, green, and grey featuring. quilts, tartan fabric samples, upcycle, shirley critchley/jane mcgrath collection

Folded card brochure with printed blue text on the back and front. Fabric samples attached with hand written text on the inside.front: [printed] ALBANY / FASHION SUITINGSsamples, fabric, brochure, albany woollen mills, school uniforms

Folded card brochure with printed blue text on the back and front. Fabric samples attached with hand written text on the inside.front: [printed] ALBANY / FASHION SUITINGSsamples, fabric, brochure, albany woollen mills, school uniforms

Folded card brochure with printed blue text on the back and front. Fabric samples attached with hand written text on the inside.front: [printed] ALBANY / FASHION SUITINGSsamples, fabric, brochure, albany woollen mills, school uniforms

Fabric samples produced by Aoki International, Japan and sent to Keith Jackson at Victorian Producers' Co-operative Limited.Fabric samples produced by Aoki International, Japan and sent to Keith Jackson at Victorian Producers' Co-operative Limited.Geoff, This is for Keith Jackson fron Aoki International (Vivo textil) Regards, Paul FINE WOOL 152 AOKI INTERNATIONA Vivo Textile Co. Ltd. C. Migutani Vivo Textileweaving textile design, aoki international limited, jackson, mr keith - victorian producers' co-operative limited, weaving, textile design

Book of fabric samples produced by Yarra Falls Pty Ltd, Melbourne.Large cloth and leather bound book of fabric samples, text and figures. Spine and corners of red leather and rest of cover dark green. Book manufacturers label past on inside cover. Two small white labels with numbers pasted on spine.Arbuckle Waddell Pty. Ltd. Printerstextile production textile design textile mills, forrest, mr craig - yarra falls pty ltd, melbourne, victoria, textile production, textile design, textile mills

A Textile Designer’s Fabric Sample Book is an important tool for keeping a record of past designs. This is useful in order to showcase a designer’s previous work; functioning like a portfolio or a résumé. They also serve as a source of inspiration, sometimes even providing a template to re-release iconic designs. The National Wool Museum has a large collection of Fabric Sample Books. They reveal the colour and daring designs produced by textile mills across various time periods. This Fabric Sample Book is from the 1920s and gives us insights into design trends that are now over a century old.The cover of this book has a brown/grey marble. It carries many marks and oils from the hands, after more than a century of use. A strip of red tape has been added to the spine of the book in order to give it integrity. The book internally has white pages that have turned a brown/cream with age. These pages have a faint blue line printed horizontally across them, to assist with handwriting. The contents of the pages are fabric samples which have been staple to them, as well as handwriting with a blue ink. The pages also include technical drawings, relating to the fabric samples and how such samples were woven together.textile design, textile manufacture

This book dates from the 1940s and was part of the Running Stitch collection of quilts, probably because it was common for women to acquire these books from travelling salesmen. This sample book is an example of the type made by textile mills and given to tailors to sell fabric for made to measure suits. With little money to spare during the austere years of the war, women often acquired these books from tailors when the fabrics were no longer available. They made use of the fabric sample pieces to make quilts. The Australian Woollen Mills was an example of a woollen mill which went into worsted production making good quality English-type suiting. They were very successful until the 1960's when the oversupply of worsted fabrics from Europe and Asia led to the decline of the industry in this country. This book was displayed in the Running Stitch exhibition "Wool Quilts Old and New" of 1985 where it was catalogue entry number 40.Australian Woollen Mills Crusader fabric sample book, c.1940sKnight / QUALITY SELECTED / SUITINGS / of / Crusader / CLOTH / NEVER SOLD OUT Crusader / CLOTH / Makes the best suits "Crusader" / WORSTEDaustralian woollen mills pty ltd running stitch group, cloth - worsted, running stitch collection

Donor has owned the fabric sample since 1975. The family story is that the fabric sample was presented to the donor's mother Zoe Smith in 1954/55 when she was a teacher at Camberwell Primary School. One of her pupils brought the sample as a gift, telling Zoe that it was from the Royal Train when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip toured Australia in 1954, one year after the Coronation. The family believed that it was a cushion cover from the Royal Train. Further research suggests that it is a fabric display of the Royal Coat of Arms produced to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. See website below https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/queen-elizabeth-ii-coat-arms-fabric-489239608Royal blue background with the Coat of Arms framed by a circle of floral emblems. "Elizabeth R" is printed below the Coat of Arms. Fabric sample is hemmed on four sides, stitched by hand.elizabeth r, queen elizabeth 2, 1953 coronation, coat of arms, wall hamging

Orange coloured manila folder with a glued on hand written label : ' Samples of Attachments in Sewing Room '. It consists of 25 cardboard pages and one loose cardboard insert. 17 of the pages have samples attached, by sellotape each end of the sample. The samples are of different fabrics and lace edgings. Eight pages at the rear of the folder are blankHanroorganization, business, hanro, hanro , clothing manufacturers, sewing room, fabric samples

About the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games donor Doug Pleasance wrote- During the 1980's the Australian wool industry was at its most prosperous times with record numbers of sheep producing wool receiving ever increasing values due to the success of the Reserve Price Scheme, and the overall guidance of the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC). As a humble technician, my role was a low profile newly created position of Controller, Technical Marketing where wool was to be marketed on its technical properties, as distinct from the Product Marketing Group which exploited the traditional high profile approach of marketing wool's superior fashion attributes. The Woolmark was the tool central to this approach. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games saw an evolutionary change in designer selection. A Declaration of Interest Form was communicated to over forty potential designers. The task and especially tight timelines that were involved deterred many aspirants, however, there remained eight designers with the potential we were seeking. These eight designers were paid $3,000 per submission and the winning designer, Wendy Powitt, was paid $15,000. For the first time the judging panel included two athletes, one male swimmer and one female basketballer, their influence was pivotal. The ensemble consisted of three elements- 1. The Official Uniform which was used for travel and all official functions. This included: a tailored blazer and trouser/skirt (all water repellent) by Fletcher Jones, pure wool olive-green faille fabric by Foster Valley, cotton PE formal shirt by Pelaco, pure wool knitwear by Spangaro, printed wool tie by TD Noone, wool nylon socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 2. Opening Ceremony Uniform a lightweight wool fabric printed with floral designs that had been inspired by the work of Australian artist Margaret Preston. This included: Lightweight W/PE shorts by Fletcher Jones in Foster Valley Fabric, socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 3. Village Clothing was designed to be highly visible garments to make it easy to spot the Aussie and helped to contribute to good team spirit. This included: A pure wool shirt featuring blocks of contrasting colours, and a newly developed stretch 50:50 wool/cotton fabric by Bradmill was made into shorts and jeans by Fletcher Jones.8144.1 - Men's cream coloured shorts. Manufactured from a cotton and wool blend fabric. 8144.2 - Cream fabric sample with labels attached. 8144.3 - Cream fabric sample. 8144.4 - Cream fabric sample.8144.1 - On label- FLETCHER JONES 60% Wool, 40% Cotton 8144.2 - Stapled label- WOOL COTTON 50:50 STRETCH1992 barcelona olympics, sport, athletes, fashion, design, uniform

Fabric sample book produced by Ernest Waddington with specifications circa 1930. Such a book would work as a catalogue of a designer’s previous Mastercards. Mastercards are specification sheets that are sent to mills in order to produce commercial amounts of fabrics for tailoring into final products, such as suits. Keeping a catalogue of previous designs is useful for designers to take inspiration from in future designs and for re-releases of iconic designs. This sample book is also notable because of its period of creation. It was created in the Great Depression. Despite societies psyche at this time, there is a surprising amount of colour and what may be viewed as daring designs. Large, light brown book bound with string containing fabric samples and notes. Pages stitched at borders. Large cream paper label with "Patterns" written diagonally across, pasted on cover.E. Waddingtonweaving textile design textile mills textile mills, waddington, mr ernest, weaving, textile design, textile mills

About the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games donor Doug Pleasance wrote- During the 1980's the Australian wool industry was at its most prosperous times with record numbers of sheep producing wool receiving ever increasing values due to the success of the Reserve Price Scheme, and the overall guidance of the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC). As a humble technician, my role was a low profile newly created position of Controller, Technical Marketing where wool was to be marketed on its technical properties, as distinct from the Product Marketing Group which exploited the traditional high profile approach of marketing wool;s superior fashion attributes. The Woolmark was the tool central to this approach. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games saw an evolutionary change in designer selection. A Declaration of Interest Form was communicated to over forty potential designers. The task and especially tight timelines that were involved deterred many aspirants, however, there remained eight designers with the potential we were seeking. These eight designers were paid $3,000 per submission and the winning designer, Wendy Powitt, was paid $15,000. For the first time the judging panel included two athletes, one male swimmer and one female basketballer, their influence was pivotal. The ensemble consisted of three elements- 1. The Official Uniform which was used for travel and all official functions. This included: a tailored blazer and trouser/skirt (all water repellent) by Fletcher Jones, pure wool olive-green faille fabric by Foster Valley, cotton PE formal shirt by Pelaco, pure wool knitwear by Spangaro, printed wool tie by TD Noone, wool nylon socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 2. Opening Ceremony Uniform a lightweight wool fabric printed with floral designs that had been inspired by the work of Australian artist Margaret Preston. This included: Lightweight W/PE shorts by Fletcher Jones in Foster Valley Fabric, socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 3. Village Clothing was designed to be highly visible garments to make it easy to spot the Aussie and helped to contribute to good team spirit. This included: A pure wool shirt featuring blocks of contrasting colours, and a newly developed stretch 50:50 wool/cotton fabric by Bradmill was made into shorts and jeans by Fletcher Jones.8124.1 - The blouse is cream with an Australian floral design inspired by the work of artist Margaret Preston. The blouse has a scoop neck, cream buttons and small triangular cut outs on the sleeves. The shoulder seam runs to the points of the triangle and another across the back of the shoulders to create a rounded design. 8124.2 - Floral print fabric sample, this sample is cut in the shape of the front panel of the blouse but is unsewn. 8124.3 - Floral fabric sample. 8124.4 - Floral fabric sample. 8124.5 - Floral fabric sample.BARCELONA 19921992 barcelona olympics, sport, athletes, fashion, design, uniform

Textile sample from an opera cloak made in England c.1820 from wool clipped from Macarthur's merino sheep in 1816. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation. Macarthur was responsible for the first bale of Australian wool to be exported. The British woollen mills were desperate for wool at the time because of the Napoleonic blockade, and the Australian bale sold for a record price. Australia needed a product to sell in European markets which did not perish during long sea-voyages and which offered high value per unit of weight. Wool also had a ready market in England because the Napoleonic Wars had increased demand and cut English cloth-makers off from their traditional source of quality wool, Spain. Australia's first $2 banknote featured John Macarthur thanks largely to his establishment of wool as the backbone of the early Australian economy. The cloak was passed down through the family to Harold Lethbridge with whom the main part of the cloak resides, in Narrandera. The fragment was passed to Lethbridge's niece who gave it to the donor's mother who passed it onto him and then it was donated to the National Wool Museum. The cloth fragment was tested by Gordon Institute of Technology in 1974 showing the wool to be very fine (15-16 microns) which is consistent with the pure lineage of Macarthur's sheep. The cloth fragment was framed in 1952 and remains in the original frame to this day. Red fabric sample folded in half and mounted in the centre of a brown metal frame.'ARCO' MADE IN ENGLANDmacarthur, wool industry, australian economy, opera, cloak, textile, textile industry, 19th century, merino sheep, woollen mills, new south wales

For nearly a century, Paris was the most important centre for textile design. From all over the world textile entrepreneurs came to Paris for inspiration. From the 1930s, style services developed in Paris in which companies collected the latest textile samples and circulated them around the world. Subscriptions to this service was expensive, but it not as expensive as going to Paris and other places where new trends arose. Textile designers, in Geelong and Melbourne, subscribed to books such as John Claude Freres books to get the latest colour fashions.Unbound book comprised of 114 separate pages of fabric samples from John Claude Freres.fashion, john claude freres

This wagga was made by the donor's paternal grandmother, Irene Isabel Pitt (nee Haase). Irene was born in Natimuk, Victoria in 1894 and grew up on a wheat farm in the Western District of Victoria. Her father owned a bakery in Natimuk, as well as several farms. Irene was a typical country woman versed in all home maker skills including knitting and sewing. After she married, she lived in suburban Melbourne. I recall seeing the waggas on the bed in the spare room. My brother suggested that one of the waggas may have been used under the mattress to help prevent draughts. - donor, 2025Wagga blanket made from suiting fabric samples, with calico cotton backing. Machine pieced, with hand stitched binding.wagga, suiting fabric, irene isabel pitt, natimuk, western district victoria, sewing, blankets

The Returned Soldiers and Sailors Mills was located near the Barwon river on Pakington Street, Geelong, where its building still stands. The mill was established in October 1922 with capital acquired from War Gratuity Bonds. The mill produced fine grade woollen products with its speciality being ‘Retsol’ travelling rugs.31 page red book bound with metal pins containing fabric samples glued onto paper, with some printed text.cover: [printed] A FORECAST OF TEXTILE VOGUES / FOR THE COMING SEASON / FROM / R. S. & S. Woollen Mill. / Geelongr. s. & s mill, soldiers, sailors, geelong, war, wool, mill